I recently came across the following article below…
It’s very easy to spend hours on the Internet these days digging up tons of historical references regarding Alcoholics Anonymous. My mission today is start logging chronologically the events in Sexaholics Anonymous history (e.g. Wiki)
Flowchart of Events of Interest to Members Of The Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous by Miles M. William Griffith Wilson born Nov. 26, 1895, in a small room behind a bar in East Dorsett, VT., to Gilman 1901 - Professor and Emily Wilson. William James lectures at University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Lectures published as The Varieties of Religious Experience in 1902. Bill's father, Gilman, deserts the family. Bill's mother, Emily, moves to Boston and becomes an Osteopathic Physician. Bill and sister Dorothy live with maternal grand- parents, Fayette and Ella Griffith. Bill's first "success" making a boomerang - "a fitting irony". @1907 - About age 12 Bill "leaves the Church" over a required 1908 - Oxford Group temperance pledge. begun as A First Century Christian Fellowship. Frank Buchman, Founder. They espoused the Four Absolutes: Honesty, Purity, Unselfishness and Love. They 1909 - Bill begins secondary practiced the princi- education at Burr & Burton ples of self-survey Academy. confession; restitution; and service to others. 1911 - Ebby Thatcher and Bill first met. 1912 - Bill's "first love", Bertha Bamford, dies after surgery in New York. Bill began a three year depression. 1914-1918, World War I 1914 - Bill enters Norwich University - a military college with strict discipline. Bill meets Lois Burnham, daughter of New York physician Dr. Clark Burnham. April 6, 1917 - U.S. enters World War I. Summer 1917 - a Second Lieutenant in the coast artillery at Ft. Rodman, Mass., Bill takes first remembered drink - Bronx Cocktail - feels a miracle - relaxed and free. A profound experience he recalled vividly more than 50 years later. January 24, 1918 - Bill marries Lois Burnham. Summer 1918 - On way to France, Bill visits Winchester Cathedral and is stirred by a "tremendous sense of presence". Reads epitaph on headstone of a Hampshire Grenadier. Nov. 11, 1918 - January 16, 1919 - 36 Armistice signed, states ratified World War I ends. constitutional May 1919 - Bill returns home. amendment for prohibition. 1920 - Bill enters Brooklyn Law School. 1921 - An investigator for U.S. F & G and also works around Wall Street. Christmas 1923 - Bill vows to stay sober one year - Lasted only 2 months. 1925-26 - Bought motorcycle and became (First?) "Market Analyst." Disease progressing. 1926 - On Wall Street full time. Disease progressing. Late 1928 - Early 1929 - Bill crosses "invisible line" in his drinking. Oct. 1929 - Stock Market collapse. Nov. 1929 - Bill goes to Canada for a job with Dick Johnson. 1930 - 31 - Back in Brooklyn and Wall Street. Living with Lois's family - unemployed. Disease progressing. Spring 1932 - Bill's business 1931 - Rowland Hazzard deal in New Jersey - drank sees Dr. Carl Jung Apple Jack and drunk three in Zurich, Switzerland. days. Contract cancelled. Told no medical or At Towns Hospital, Bill psychological hope for meets Dr. William an alcoholic of his Silkworth on second type; told the only admission. "The Little hope was a spiritual or Doctor Who Loved 1930-34 - Bill in "An Alcoholic religious experience Drunks." Hell". 1933-34 - Bill in Towns or conversion. This Hospital four times. considered "the first in the chain of events Dec. 5, 1933- that led to the Prohibition ended. founding of A.A." Bill resumes drinking after each admission. Disease progressing. Dr. Silkworth Summer 1934 Rowland Hazzard pronounces Bill a... "HOPELESS DRUNK" return to America and becomes involved in Oxford Group. 1934 - Emmett Fox publishes The Sermon On The Mount. Nov. 1924 - Ebby T. carries Aug. 1924 - Rowland message to Bill at home. Hazzard and Cebra Tells his story. "One persuade court to Alcoholic Talking To Another." court to parole Ebby Thatcher in their Bill starts attending Oxford custody. Ebby sobers Group at Calvary Church, up at Oxford Group at Bowery Mission. Calvary Episcopal Mission, Sam Shoemaker. Bill drinks again - Back to Towns Hospital. Dec. 1934 - Bill has "Hot Flash" spiritual experience at Towns Hospital. NEVER DRANK AGAIN. Dr. Silkworth assured Bill he was not crazy; rather a "psychic The next day Ebby upheaval" or "conversion brought Bill a copy experience." of William James' Varieties of Religious Experience. Bill reads Varieties of Religious Experience, an explanation of need for Pain, Suffering, Calamity and "Deflation in Depth" and the "Simultaneous Transmission of Hope." The two "Halves" are joined into a "Whole." Bill returns to Oxford Group and works with other alcoholics, also at Sam Shoemaker's Calvary Mission and at Towns Hospital, emphasizing his "Hot Flash" spiritual experience. He noted they "seemed to do better" talking of their common problems, but no success in sobering up others. Bill develops belief that alcoholics are resistant to the "Four Absolutes" of the Oxford Group. 1935 - Bill, still sober, but no success yet in helping others. Still frequents Wall Street. Went to Akron Ohio for proxy fight. Lost proxy fight. Bill at Mayflower Hotel. Very discouraged and afraid he might drink. May 11, 1935 - Bill reached reali- Rev. Walter Tunks zation of: I need another alcoholic. . "He starts making telephone calls. *The final founding moment Referred to Norman of A.A.* Sheppard May 12, 1935 @5:00 P.M. - Bill Robert Holbrook Referred to Henrietta meets Dr. Bob. Bob still Smith. Born August Seiberling, an Oxford drinking. Bill tells Bob of 8, 1879 in St. Group adherent. She his experiences with alcohol Johnsbury, VT. arranged a meeting the the hopes, promises, failures Dartmouth College, Pre- next afternoon at the told of the obsession, compul- Med at University of Seiberling Estate with sion, and physical allergy; Michigan. M.D. at Dr. Bob Smith. told him of Ebby's visit and Rush Medical College, simple message, "show me your Chicago, IL. Intern faith and by my works I will at City Hospital, show you mine." Akron, OH. Procto- logist. His wife, Anne was a friend of Henrietta Seiberling. They brought Dr. Bob to Oxford Group meet- ings for 2-1/2 yrs. Dr. Bob understood with sudden and he continued to Bill had presented Dr. clarity - the difference with get drunk regularly. Bob four aspects of one the Oxford Group. "The spirit- core idea: ual approach was as useless as (1) Utter Hopelessness any other if you soaked it up like (2) Totally Deflated a sponge and kept it to yourself." (3) Requiring Conversion The purpose of life was not to (4) Needing Others "get" , it was to "give." June 10, 1935 Dr. Bob has last drink _______________________ ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS FOUNDED ------------------------ June 11, 1935 - Dr. Bob suggests they both start working with other alcoholics. June 28, 1935 - Bill and Dr. Bob confront Bill Dotson, first "Man on the Bed." Bill D. was a prominent attorney in Akron. The 3rd A.A. Note: Bill D. had a spiritual experience without familiarity with Oxford Group principals. Henrietta Seiberling Summer, 1935 - Bill stayed in supplied them with in Akron. He and Dr. Bob worked "Infusion of Spirit- with alcoholics and attended weekly uality" mainly through Oxford Group meetings and received Paul to Corinthians on spiritual nourishment. "Love" and James on "Works" if faith is to have meaning, Fall & Winter 1935 - Back in New York on Clinton St. Hank P. and Fitz M. got sober. Mid 1936 - a small but solid Bill's efforts with group developing at Clinton alcoholics receiving St. in New York. criticism from Oxford Group. Charles Towns offers Bill a job at Towns Hospital. Bill wanted it. The question presented to the Group and rejected because - what they had, the "thing" that bound them together and those feelings could not be bought and paid for. The only authority was the Group Conscience and all decisions were to be made by the Group. 1937 - Beginning of the split from the Oxford Group. Residents at Clinton St. Ebby T. Oscar V. Russell R. Bill C. Florence R. Nov. 1937 - Bill and Dr. Bob meet in Akron and compare notes. Forty cases sober and staying sober. More than twenty sober for more than one year. All had been diagnosed as HOPELESS. + A meeting of the Akron Group to consider Bill's ideas for a book, pamphlets and how to expand the movement. Presented but only narrowly passed by a majority of 2. Feb. 1938 - Rockefeller gives $5,000 and saves A.A. from professionalism. May 1938 - The Alcoholic Foundation established as a trusteeship for A.A. May 1938 - Beginning of the writing of the book Alcoholics Anonymous. Dec. 1938 - Twelve Steps written. 1939 - Membership reaches 100. April 1939 - The book Alcoholics Anonymous published. Summer 1939 - Withdrawal from association with Oxford 1940 - Bill meets Group complete. Oxford Father Ed Dowling who Group renamed "Moral becomes his "spiritual Re-Armament." advisor." "Rule No. 62." March 1941 - Jack Alex- Feb. 1940 - First World Service January 1944 - Dr. ander's Saturday Even- Office for A.A. Harry Tiebout's first ing Post article paper on the subject published and member- June 1944 - The A.A. of "alcoholics ship jumped from 2000 Grapevine established. anonymous" The Washingtonians in 1946 - The Twelve Traditions the 1840's failed, due of A.A. formulated and principally to failure published. to adhere to "Single- ness of Purpose," and June 1, 1949 - Anne Ripley this failure influenced Smith died. the development of the A.A. Traditions. July 1959 - First international convention of A.A. at Cleveland, Ohio. Twelve Traditions adopted. Nov. 16, 1950 - Dr. Robert Holbrook Smith, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous died. June 1953 - The book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions published. Oct. 1954 - The "Alcoholic Foundation" becomes the "General Service Board of A.A." July 1955 - 20th Anniversary Convention at St. Louis, MO Second edition of Alcoholics Anonymous published. The three legacies of Recovery, Unity and Service turned over to the movement by its oldtimers. 1957 - Creation of first overseas General Service Board of A.A. in Great Britain and Ireland. A.A. Comes of Age published in October. Membership reaches over 200,000 in 7,000 groups in 70 countries and U.S. possessions. 1959 - A.A. Publishing, Inc. became A.A. World Services, Inc. July 1960 - 25th Anniversary Convention at Long Beach, CA 1962 - Publication of Twelve Concepts for World Service written by Bill W. July 1965 - 30th Anniversary Convention at Toronto, Canada. Keynote adopted, "I Am Responsible." 1966 - Change in ratio of trustees of the General Service Board; now two-thirds majority of alcoholic members; the A.A. fellowship accepts ütop responsibility for all it's future affairs. 1967 - Publication of the book The A.A. Way of Life now titled As Bill Sees It. Oct. 9-11, 1969 - 1st World Service meeting held in New York with delegates from 14 countries. 1970 - 35th Anniversary International Convention at Miami Beach, Florida. Keynote: "This we owe to AA's of the future. To place our common welfare first; To keep our fellowship united. For on A.A. Unity depend our lives, and the lives of those to come." Bill's last public appearance. Jan. 24, 1971 - William Griffith Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, dies at Miami Beach, FL. Oct. 5-7, 1972 - 2nd World Service meeting held in New York. 1973 - Publication of Came to Believe. April 1973 - Distribution of the book Alcoholics Anonymous reached one million mark. 1975 - Publication of Living Sober. 1976 - Publication of 3rd Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous. October 5, 1988 - Lois Burnam Wilson died. ========================== Sources: Bill W. by Robert Thompsen Not God. A History of Alcoholics Anonymous by Ernest Kurtz Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, A.A. World Services, Inc. Pass It On - Bill Wilson and the A.A. Message, A.A. World Services The Language of the Heart, The A.A. Grapevine Dr. Bob and the Good Old-Timers, A.A. World Services, Inc. On The Tail of a Comet, The Life of Frank Buchman by Garth Lean The Washingtonian Movement, by Milton A. Maxwell, Ph.D. A.A. The Way It Began, by Bill Pittman